Directions:

1. Whisk the butter and sugar until doubled in volume and light and fluffy in texture.

2. Add the eggs and beat on high speed for 4 minutes.

3. Add the salt, vanilla bean and bananas and mix on low speed for 30 seconds until the bananas are mashed.

4. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, chocolate, walnuts and shredded coconut. Mix/fold gently on low speed for 30 seconds until everything is combined and no more flour is visible. Do not overmix.

5. Divide the batter into 2 baking loaf tins and smooth the tops.

6. Arrange the sliced bananas on top of each loaf and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon raw sugar over top.

7. Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes until the centre comes clean.

8. Let cool in tins for 10 minutes before gently removing onto a wire rack to completely cool. Sprinkle with icing sugar and slice with a sharp knife.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! What are your plans- fancy big dinner or staying in with a home cooked meal?

We’re staying in this year and celebrating with this simple chocolate cake. It’s a quick 1 bowl dessert, no mess, no fuss and sugar free as it’s sweetened with maple syrup. I hope you enjoy it and let me know how it turns out.

Method:

• Whip the butter, add the eggs until double in volume.• Add the maple syrup, fleur de sel and vanilla bean.• Gently fold in the flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder until combined.• With the mixer running on the lowest speed, slowly pour in the espresso. Can also be done by hand – gently fold in the espresso with a whisk until smooth.• Pour into a 9″ baking pan with a removable bottom and bake for 15-20 minutes.• Remove and let cool.• Serve with whipped cream, dust with icing sugar or dust with dehydrated crushed raspberries as shown in the photo.

*The cake can also be topped with a ganache frosting (1:1 ratio chocolate + hot whipping cream, let stand and whisk until smooth and cool enough to pour or thickened to spread)

Buckwheat cookies are an amazing alternative for those with gluten intolerance. Made with healthy and hearty wholesome ingredients such as medjool dates, coconut, and my favourite – hazelnuts!

Hazelnuts can be substituted in this recipe, but these go nicely with the buckwheat and chocolate. These are so tasty you won’t miss a thing, my 7 year old loves them and we’ve made them many times.

I hope you’ll try them out and if you do, please share them with me using my hashtag #hautesucre, I would love to see them. Make these for your next cookie exchange or holiday brunch, they’re sure to become your new holiday favourite, get the recipe below.

Buckwheat Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies (gluten free) Recipe

Ingredients:

8 Medjool Dates

2/3 cups hazelnuts

2/3 cups maple sugar (or raw turbinado sugar)

Pinch of sea salt

Pinch of ground cinnamon

1 large free range organic egg

2 tblsp almond milk (or other dairy/non dairy liquid)

1 cup Buckwheat flour

1/3 cup coconut manna (dried coconut)

1/4 cup cacao nibs

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground Vanilla bean

1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips

Topping:

1 cup dairy free chocolate Cacao nibs

Fleur de sel

Instructions:

1. In a high speed blender or food processor, pulse the hazelnuts and dates until broken down. You should still see chopped pieces of nuts – you don’t want hazelnut flour.

2. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until the mixture comes together. Do not over process.

3. Transfer the batter to a small bowl and work it with your hands for a few minutes, ensuring it’s evenly distributed.

4. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours.

5. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

7. Remove the mixture from the refrigerator and scoop out the mixture into mid size balls.

8. Gently roll and flatten them slightly so that they bake evenly.

9. Bake for 12 minutes. Let them rest for 2 min and transfer to a rack to completely cool.

10. Melt 1 cup of chocolate into a small heatproof bowl and set aside.

11. When the cookies have cooled, dip each half cookie into the bowl of melted chocolate, shaking off the excess and laying it flat onto the parchment sheet to dry. Repeat with remaining chocolate.

12. Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with raw cacao nibs and fleur de sel. Let the chocolate harden until set.

Granola is one of my favourite things to eat in the morning with fresh homemade yogurt or thick Greek style yogurt. I didn’t always like yogurt or granola, it all started 7 years ago when I was pregnant with my son…talk about cravings!

I was visiting my friend Penny in Chicago and quickly got addicted to a local made chocolate granola. Needless to say, I packed up a suitcase worth to take home and to eat for the duration of my pregnancy haha and she was nice enough to mail me a quick fix when I ran out.

Eventually I started making my own with a newborn in tow, in between naps and feedings. I have so many recipes 7 years later but this one is a definite favourite. I love hazelnuts and I love chocolate, so what could be better! Even my son loves it!😉

Chocolate Hazelnut Granola Recipe

Preheat oven to 350°F

Line a baking sheet lined with parchment

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup dark cocoa powder

1 tsp ground vanilla bean

1 tsp cinnamon powder

1/4 tsp kosher Salt

2 tblsp almond oil

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/8 cup water

1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped

1/2 cup dark chocolate, chopped

Instructions:

In a large bowl combine the oats, cocoa powder, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Mix well.

Add the almond oil, maple syrup and water. Mix until all the oats are saturated.

Place on a lined baking sheet and bake for 10 min.

Remove and add the chopped hazelnuts.

Return to the oven and bake another 10 minutes.

Turn the oven off and leave in for 5-10 minutes more.

Remove and let it cool completely.

Add the chopped chocolate and transfer the granola to a large mason or weck jar.

Chocolate is one of my favourite ingredients to bake with and this deliciously easy tart is no exception. I used dark chocolate as it pairs amazingly well with the Toasted Sesame Caramel Dessert Sauce from #PresidentsChoice.

When I received this month’s box I was delighted to see 2 ingredients that I really love, which are Passion fruit and Caramel. The PC Black Label Passion Fruit Condiment is quite heavenly in the sense that it works well as a vinaigrette poured onto salad or glazed on your BBQ shrimp.

Toasted Sesame Caramel Dessert Sauce

The Toasted Sesame Caramel Dessert Sauce is the perfect consistency of a runny caramel speckled with flecks of toasted sesame seeds (genius!) and pairs well with so many desserts including pouring it on your favorite ice cream, spread on crepes and my personal favourite used as a filling for a dark chocolate tart.

When I opened jar of toasted sesame caramel, I was amazed how smooth the texture was and the right amount of sesame. Instantaneously, a thought of a traditional chocolate tart with caramel center emerged and I became challenged to make a tart that would compliment the sesame flavor. The idea of using dark chocolate was my first option as it is not overly sweet and would complement the sweet caramel. The toasted sesame hardly gets the attention it deserves as it flavor is not overbearing. The caramel sauce inspired me to decorate the tart with a hard set caramel, but can be served on its own or dusted with cocoa powder.

Another suggestion if your willing to take a chance is to add espresso and cinnamon to the tart mixture. I have fond memories of travelling through Italy and being served a dark chocolate square with my shot of espresso. The espresso’s bitterness is followed by a sweet but not having the fatty texture of milk chocolate to remove the after taste of the espresso. In this recipe, I have added both ingredients.

As we roll into the second month of #PlayWithYourFood #PCBlackLabel campaign with #PresidentsChoice, I want to share some exciting news! President’s Choice has offered to giveaway a #PCBLACKLABEL BLACK BOX for you to win on my Instagram account! You can win 2 delicious #PCBlackLabel products in addition to a $50 gift card! How exciting is that? In order to enter the contest, you will need to go to my Instagram page.

The contest will run until June 28that which time a winner will be selected randomly. Good luck! *This contest is open to Canadian residents only.

Whether you’re a home chef or an aspiring foodie, the PC Black Label Collection makes it easy to unleash your culinary curiosity and get creative. Discover the entire collection and be inspired to #PlayWithYourFood at pc.ca/blacklabel.

DARK CHOCOLATE TART WITH TOASTED SESAME CARAMEL RECIPE

* This recipe makes enough for a standard 8 to 9 inch round tart pan.

It’s important to use a spring form pan (or tart ring) with a removal base for easy baking and removal of the tart and source out high quality ingredients as it produces the best flavours and will quickly get noticed by your guests.

The steps are very straightforward and relatively easy to put together. Just be sure to chill the tart dough until its firm enough for you to roll out. Once it’s baked, be sure it is completely cooled before adding the caramel sauce. Finally, another important note is to ensure that the caramel is hardened (slightly) or really cold before adding the layer of chocolate ganache otherwise the chocolate will mix into the caramel.

Instructions:

Chop the butter and add it to the flour bowl mixture, crumbling it into the flour making pea sized crumbs.

Work the ingredients quickly until they come together creating a pliable dough. Do not over mix, you should still see little pats of butter throughout.

Shape the dough into a disk and flatten

Wrap with plastic wrap and chill until ready to use.

Chocolate Ganache:

1 cup cold whipping cream
2 cups dark chocolate, chopped

In a microwave safe bowl, warm the cream until just boiling – about 1-2 minutes, depending on your microwave.

Carefully remove and add the chopped chocolate.

Let it sit for 1 minute.

Whisk gently until incorporated and set aside.

Bake the Tart:

Preheat oven to 375°F

Butter an 8″ or 9″ spring form pan or tart ring and set aside.

On a floured work surface, roll out the dough to 1″ thickness and line the tart ring or pan. Ensure you bring up the dough on the sides that’s deep enough to hold the caramel filling and the chocolate ganache, approximately 2-3 inches in height.

Use a fork and gently indent the dough all over to create tiny little holes.

Bake for 25 – 30 minutes until cooked through.

With the back of a spoon, push down the base of the tart to ensure it is flat and no holes remain (they should be baked through).

Let the tart shell cool completely.

Assembly:

Pour the caramel in an even layer in the tart base and refrigerate or freeze until set and it’s no longer runny.

Once chilled completely, remove and pour the chocolate ganache over top the caramel and smooth out with a spatula quickly as it will start immediately.

Return to the refrigerator until completely set.

Remove 20 minutes before serving and use a hot knife to slice through the tart. Rinse the knife and repeat. This ensures you get clean slices each time you cut into it.

Enjoy!

If you make this recipe please share and use my hashtag, #hautesucre on the social media channels, as I would love to see them!

(This post is sponsored by President’s Choice. I used their PC Black Label Toasted Sesame Caramel Dessert Sauce to make this easy Dark Chocolate Tart.)

Dark Chocolate Banana Muffins Recipe

Whether you call them muffins, cupcakes or banana bread, they’re all delicious! We had a debate as to whether or not these classified as muffins and my now 7 year old was quick to point out that there was no icing so indeed these were muffins. Ha ha! Nothing like the wisdom of a 7 year old to put it straight sometimes.

This is a quick 5 minute, one bowl recipe and you can even have your kids mix it all up together. It’s best to have all the ingredients ready if you plan to do that. You can also make this into a quick bread recipe, although the bake time will be doubled . I like them as muffins as they bake quickly and are great for quick snacks and lunch boxes.

I’ve added the pecans as an additional, optional topping but they taste good without them too as I made half a batch without. You can also replace with hazelnuts or walnuts for a different flavour.

I used Lindt dark chocolate couveture callets and left them whole as they are wonderful melted through when you take a warm bite, as you can see in the photo below.

I also added Callebaut white chocolate callets that look more like chocolate chips. I prefer this brand as it has a nice balanced sweetness that goes well with baked goods. This being said, you can use whatever you have in your pantry i.e. regular chocolate chips, but the taste of the chocolate is really amplified with couveture.

I hope you enjoy them and if you do make this recipe, please share and use my hashtag, #hautesucre on the social media channels, as I would love to see them!

Keep an eye out as I will be hosting a giveaway over the next few days…stay tuned!

Guys! I thought I’d share this quick recipe, it only takes 5 minutes! I literally made these just before heading out the door for school pick up this afternoon and they made the best after school snacks.😋
I’ll be the first to admit I have a pet peeve – leftover cereal boxes piled up drive me crazy! My son loves buying cereal but after one bowl, he’s done with it! Something about soggy cereal and milk…haha 😂

I took a mix of glutenfree cereals such as Choco Chimps by Nature’s Path Organic, Kellog’s Cocoa Rice Krispies and good ol’ Cheerios! I didn’t add any chocolate to make these but if you feel the need, you could give them a good drizzle of melted dark chocolate or add in a handful of dark chocolate chips. Enjoy!

*And don’t forget, if you make these using my recipe below, please tag them #hautesucre on your social media accounts as I would love to see them!😊

Brown Butter Chocolate Krispie Squares Recipe

Makes 16 squares

Ingredients:

1/3 cup salted butter

2.5 cups marshmallows

Pinch of fleur de sel

1/2 tsp ground vanilla bean or extract

4-5 cups of mixed chocolate cereals of your choice or *as noted above

Method:

1. In a large bowl combine the mix of cereals and set aside.

2. Line a 9×9 square pan with parchment and set aside.

3. In a heated saucepan melt the butter until just golden and set off the heat, then add the vanilla, salt and marshmallows and mix quickly leaving a few marshmallows whole.

4. Pour the mixture into the bowl of cereals and mix quickly.

5. Transfer to the lined pan, pressing the mixture down evenly with the spatula.

I just made another batch of delicious Hazelnut Mylk…this must be my second batch this week, it’s THAT good, I’m so addicted!😋

Another wonderful alternative to dairy milk, this tastes amazing on its own or in your favourite hot beverage. My son loves this milk for his hot chocolates and I’m enjoying it with my coffee. My husband loves an ice cold glass, it’s very refreshing!

See my recipe below if you’re interested in making your own. I’d love to hear from you, tag your creations with #hautesucre, I’d love to see them! 🙂

Recipe for Hazelnut Mylk.

(Makes approximately 3 cups)

1 cup hazelnuts, soaked for 1 hr and drained

3 cups of filtered water

3 tblsp maple syrup

Pinch of vanilla bean

Pinch of fleur de sel

Method:

Add all of the ingredients to a high speed blender and process until smooth.

Pass through a nut milk bag or ultra fine sieve and strain as much liquid as possible.

Reserve the ground nuts for another use (such as my pumpkin pie with hazelnut Crust!)

Transfer to a glass bottle, will keep for a few days, refrigerated. Best served ice cold, enjoy!